“Our customers expect us to be leading the way on major issues like this, so I am determined to remove and replace plastic packaging where we can and offer alternatives to plastic where packaging is still required to protect a product.”

Sainsbury’s confirmed that black plastic trays (whcih are difficult to recycle) will be replaced with alternatives by the end of the year, with black ready-meal trays set to be replaced within the next two months.

Sainsbury’s is keen to stake its claim as a pioneer in the race to be seen as an eco-friendly supermarket.

It cites removing microbeads from own brand products and being one of the first to offer paper-only cotton buds as examples of previous work in this field.